According to an audit report, the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) returning officers neglected to return D1,856,314 that was still in their bank accounts following the conclusion of many elections.
According to the auditors, conversations with IEC management verified that money is sent to returning officers’ personal bank accounts as part of election procedures in order to pay for election-related costs in their respective regions. At the conclusion of the polls, the officials are supposed to take out the required sums of money and give the IEC back those that are not used.
During the four (4) elections that took place between 2021 and 2023, the audit team examined the bank statements of each returning officer. They discovered that some returning officers did not withdraw the full amount of money that the IEC had transferred to their accounts in order to cover election-related expenses. They failed to withdraw and return D1,856,314 in funds from their respective bank accounts to the IEC following the conclusion of the corresponding elections, which raised suspicions that the money was kept in their private bank accounts for personal use, the auditors said.
They added that this circumstance made it possible for public funds that ought to have been given back to the Commission to be misused.
They added, “This also leads to significant losses of public funds that could have been used for other official perspectives.”
The auditors suggested that the IEC management offer a “plausible” explanation for the disparities, accompanied by relevant documents.
“Management should make sure they get those money back from the returning officers and give the audit team proof for verification.” In order to quickly establish accountability for the use of such funds, particularly inflows, outflows, and balances at a specific period of time, management should make sure that designated account(s) are opened in the Commission’s name for such activities. Additionally, this will guarantee that bank reconciliations are carried out on a regular basis to find and fix problems quickly,” the auditors suggested.
“These are remaining bank balances of Returning Officers before their retirements to IEC,” the IEC management said in response to the auditor. “There is no Returning Officer who has not adequately and appropriately retired all his/her election funds to Commission,” the management continued. “The Commission has already started looking into means of paying election funds in the next electoral cycle without paying such funds into any Returning Officer’s bank account,” they also told the auditors as part of their corrective plans.
The auditors were unhappy with the answers given, even if the management of the election commission denied it and gave assurances. They stressed that instead of accepting conduct allegedly committed by some Returning Officers, it would have been more responsible for management to look into the matter.
We are really disappointed and unhappy with the way your management has responded. Instead of complying with the actions allegedly committed by some of the returning officers, it would have been more responsible for management to initiate an investigation into this subject since it suggests a potential fraudulent act. The auditors said.
